Those who want you to doubt that anarchy (self ownership and individual responsibility) is the best, most moral, and ethical way to live among others are asking you to accept that theft, aggression, superstition, and slavery are perhaps better.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A valued reader asked a question of me that boils down to this: Can a libertarian be happy in a sea of statism?

Short answer: If you can't, you probably wouldn't be happy in "Libertopia", either.

Even in a free society, people will still be people, and the laws of physics (and biology) will still apply. That is just reality. Of course, without coercive government meddling, stealing, and trying to keep the statist status quo propped up, people might be less stressed and might be friendlier, and new technologies might allow the laws of physics to work with us rather than standing against us. That is a lot of "mights", but it would be fun to explore. Who knows, we may still get the chance. I'm not going to wring my hands in hopelessness in the meantime.

It can be frustrating to see government power growing all around us, but I realize that government isn't "society", nor is it "civilization", "us", or anything that really matters. It is like a fungus growing all over the earth and can be similarly killed and scraped off. Start where you are. Now.

The best way to scrape off that sludge of statism is to live your freedom now, as fully as you can, in line with your values and best judgment. Don't wait for a free society to emerge; your free actions will bring that change, not different actions by government. Government "change" results in the same difference as "water" vs "Dihydrogen Monoxide". Let people see, through you, that living free without harming others is not only possible, but easy, better, and the only moral option. To see through the nonsense of statism, people need to see the opposite in action. So show them.

This is the only life you get. You might as well enjoy it while pointing out the inconsistencies and fallacies that government depends upon for its existence. Without a challenge of some sort, life is boring.

Validation

I'm not actively soliciting donations (or subscriptions) right now... oh, who am I kidding? Yes, please, donate or subscribe. It may be silly but it makes me feel like all the work that goes into this is valued by others and is worth the effort. Thanks.